Isuzu Ute names new managing director

ISUZU Ute Australia (IUA) has announced that Yasuhiro Takeuchi will replace Hitoshi Kono as managing director from mid-September.

Mr Takeuchi, 43, is currently the deputy general manager and divisional strategy planning team leader at IUA parent Mitsubishi Corporation’s Isuzu business division in Tokyo, a position he has held since December 2009.

Mr Takeuchi previously worked in Mitsubishi Corporation’s aerospace division, holding positions in electronic systems and integrated defence systems.

According to IUA, his specialities included “aircraft, airborne equipment, missile and other defence-related equipment and systems business”.

Mr Takeuchi holds a masters degree in aeronautics from Tokyo University’s Graduate School of Engineering.

He will make the move to Australia late next month to familiarise himself with the Australian market before officially taking the reins at IUA, which is a separate company to Isuzu truck distributor Isuzu Australia Limited.

Left: Outgoing Isuzu Ute Australia managing director Hitoshi Kono.

Mr Kono, 51, established IUA with deputy managing director Takeshi Kasahara in January 2008 to import and distribute the Thai-built D-Max utility in Australia.

He will relocate to Mitsubishi Corporation’s head office, “where he will be briefed on his next assignment”.

IUA’s dealer network in Australia now spans 81 retail outlets. The company has sold more than 11,000 D-Max utes in Australia since sales started in from October 2008, including 5114 last year.

The 624 units it sold in May set a new monthly record for the brand, and, to the end of May, D-Max sales for the year were up 41.7 per cent.

The new-generation D-Max, the first images of which are expected to be shown at the Melbourne motor show tomorrow, is due to reach Australia later this year or early 2012, with the launch delayed as a result of parts shortages stemming from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.